United
by RainbowRose497
Summary: Originally posted on Quizilla, I won a reward for this I believe it was the "Fairytale Romance" Award when I entered it in a member's one shot contest. It may be a tad cliche, but I think it's pretty cute. I edited mistakes. Rated for my own paranoia.


I stared out the window of my dorm in Gryffindor house.

It was raining and the sky was grey and gloomy. The raindrops raced to the edge of my window and fell to the ground that would be their end. The wind was strong and blew the trees' branches, sometimes separating the leaves from their trees.

I was like a leaf, the tree was my mother, and the wind was the Ministry of Magic.

My life was like the gloomy storm on the Hogwarts Grounds.

I am Celia Martin, the little girl that was comforted by Ministry Officials as I watched my mother being pulled away. I was only five years old, and the Ministry thought my mother unfit to take care of me. So, I had been put into a foster home. How could the Ministry have done that to a little girl? I was frail and only damaged by the fact that I had lost my parents.

My mother was forced away from me and put in St. Mungo's. She had gone a little crazy after my dad was killed. I had no family left except for my crazy grandmother. She had lost her mind years before I was even born.

I was placed in the Morris family, a mother and father with one little girl of their own and five foster children besides me. They raised me since the time I was five and separated from my mother, they brought me to the Hogwarts Express and welcomed me back warmly each summer. They were a good family, but I still wish that I was able to visit my mother.

So, now I am of age, 17, but still under the care of the Morris family.

I am tall, and thin, with nice curves as I am told by a few of the boys at Hogwarts. I have straight, bright red hair that goes to my shoulders. My eyes are a dark amber hue, my complexion clear and pale.

"Celia, what are you doing?" Lily Evans walked into our dorm.

"Making waffles, why?" I replied sarcastically. I wasn't in the mood to talk.

She scoffed and sat on her bed. I looked at her. Obviously, she wasn't going to leave any time soon.

I rolled my eyes and left our dorm. Walking down the stairs to the Common Room, I saw the four boys I counted as my friends.

Remus looked up and waved. The others noticed him moving, then saw me, and followed his example.

I acknowledged their waves with a nod and left the room. I walked through the halls, my mind set on the tree we had spent so many times together.

The five of us had hung out there, we had talked there, we had tortured Severus Snape there, and we had done homework there, and so on.

But, I was thinking of other times. Better memories than that.

There was Remus and I laughing at the others in the Hospital Wing for a potion gone awry, there was Remus and I reading while the others were in detention, and then there was Remus reassuring me that the marauders weren't keeping anything from me.

I made it to the tree, soaking wet. My skirt clung to my long legs and my button down shirt clung to my body, while the white color of my shirt became see-through and showed off my Gryffindor colored bra – red with yellow ribbon.

I leaned against the tree and looked up to the branches and leaves.

Raindrops landed with a _THUMP _on my forehead when they were able to sneak through the gaps between leaves.

The sky was still grey, but less gloomy.

I heard the noises of footsteps on wet, muddy grass.

"What are you doing, Celia?" I heard an easily recognizable voice from behind me.

Remus had followed me.

"I'm standing under a tree. Isn't it obvious?"

He chuckled and I sighed.

"You're going to catch a cold, Remus."

"Are you worried about little old me?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Okay, what's wrong?"

I sunk down to a squatting position, my butt barely touching the grass, but still tickling the back of my bare thighs.

He sat down next to me, finding a dry patch of grass.

"Tell me, Celia?"

I shook my head. Nothing was really _wrong_, per say.

I just felt … _alone_.

"They're making me leave, you know," I finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"I have to change families. I'll be moving to _Bulgaria_. I'll have to go to Durmstrang."

"But, you can't leave! You only have one year left."

I looked at him, tears forming and merging with the raindrops on my face.

It was then that I noticed how nice he looked sitting under that old tree, the rain making his hair stick to his face, his clothes sticking to his body.

"We've still got half of a semester."

"Yeah …"

Suddenly, he looked at me and pulled me into his lap.

I looked up at his face, questioningly.

He shook his head and pulled me closer.

He was holding on to me, never wanting to let go. He was cherishing the moment we had now.

I knew the position he was in. I knew his feelings.

I felt the same way when I saw them leading my crying mother away. I had held onto her hand and tried to follow them, but they were forcing me towards the big golden fountain, where I was comforted and hugged and told it would be alright.

But, it hadn't been alright. I had lost my parents. In what universe is _that_ 'alright?'

Remus still held me close to his chest.

"Hey, Celia," he started to say.

"Hmm," I closed my eyes, listening to his steady heartbeat.

"Do you think that … maybe we could go … on a date before you leave?"

I didn't want to say yes like I did, but I couldn't help it. I was starting to think of him as more than a friend. But, I didn't want my heart to break when I had to say good-bye.

Remus kept me in his arms until the rain stopped.

It was still day-time, and the rainbow came out. It reminded me that even though I am separated from my real family, the Morris's still love me as if I were their own.

But I still felt like the leaves being blown from the tree in that huge gust of wind. I still felt alone. Even though I had friends, I still felt like I was the only one in a world of complete nothingness. I needed a mother to fix that. I needed someone that I trusted to love me and that I know would accept my love and fix my broken heart when it fell to pieces.

Remus walked me back to the castle. We roamed the halls until we came across the portrait of the Fat Lady.

I was about to walk to my dorm, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back down the stairs.

"You're still soaking wet."

"So," I urged him to continue.

"So, I'm going to help you get dry."

I chuckled, but followed him up to his dorm anyway.

This was what I had always wanted. I wanted someone to care for me and about me. Someone to fill the void left in my heart. Somebody that I could trust to take care of me and someone that I knew would always be there for me when I needed a cushion to fall on.

He sat me on his bed.

The dorm was empty, as the whole house was either in the Great Hall or the Common Room.

He walked into his bathroom and I took in the scenery around me.

There were four beds with red sheets and curtains. There were two windows with red curtains at each one. One bed was home to Quidditch posters and souvenirs. Another had pictures of motorbikes and cars and pictures of girls. The third bed was just messy all around. The area I was in was neat with a few large books on the nightstand.

I could tell which bed went to which marauder. It was simple. James liked Quidditch. Sirius liked motorbikes and planned on getting one. Peter was messy. And I had already known I was on Remus' bed, but if I hadn't, he was a bookworm and the smartest of the four boys.

I was taken from my thoughts by a door opening. Remus came out of the bathroom with a big fluffy towel. He smiled at me as he walked towards his bed.

"Are you cold, Celia?"

I thought about it and shivered. I was quite cold, actually. The rain had been sort of warm at first, but the halls had been cool when we were walking through them.

I nodded in answer to his question.

He took the towel and wrapped it around my shoulders. Then, he looked like he was in a real awkward moment.

"Ahem … Uh … You should … remove your clothes so you don't catch cold."

My cheeks turned red. Now, I knew why we looked so embarrassed.

"You could go into the bathroom if you want," he suggested.

I nodded and awkwardly stood up. Normally, I was very confident and a bit headstrong and stubborn, but then I was just embarrassed. I mean, Remus probably already noticed that he could've seen my bra _through_ my shirt, but I never saw his eyes stray towards my chest.

I stood barefooted on the cold bathroom floor. The door was locked. I undressed and sat in my bra and underwear, wrapped in the towel and leaning my back against the hard wooden door.

Then, I heard voices.

They sounded like Sirius and James with the small thumps that I knew to be Peter's footsteps.

I pressed my ear to the door, which was actually pretty warm.

"Hey, Moony, what's shaking?" I heard James' voice.

Then I heard Sirius, "Yeah, you missed a great dinner."

Peter squeaked.

"Oh, I was with Celia."

I heard 'ooh's' from James and Sirius.

Remus didn't react, but I guessed he was glaring at them.

I heard Sirius again, "Well, while Remus gets his boxers out of a knot," pause, "I have to pee."

James and Peter laughed.

"You can't, Padfoot, Celia's in there."

"Aw, but I have to go really bad!"

I heard more footsteps and then a knock on the bathroom door that vibrated against my ear.

"COME ON, CELIA, I HAVE TO PEE!"

I jumped back from the door and stood up. I wrapped the towel tightly around my body, holding it close. I was about to go into a room filled with four boys that have probably never been this close to a half-naked girl before. Lovely, isn't it?

My hand held the old door handle and I slowly opened it.

The guys' mouths dropped when they saw me, except for Remus who was looking at his bed.

Sirius smirked and walked confidently towards me – always the Ladies Man, aren't you, Sirius?

He took the last step he needed to be an inch from my face. Then he leaned his head forward and tucked a finger in my towel and pulled it out a bit so that he could (try to) see down my bra.

I stepped forward as well, pushing him back, but sticking my foot behind his ankle and causing him to fall.

I chuckled with the boys at his failure.

Sirius grumbled and walked into the bathroom, Peter ran out of the room after seeing me, and James went to go find him.

"So, what do I do now that I'm in a towel, huh?" I asked. Man, this was really awkward.

"Oh, uh … I guess we just wait until you're warmed up and dry."

I nodded and sat on his bed, pulling the towel tighter around me.

An hour later I was dry and in warm clothes, but the room was still a little chilly.

"Remus, I'm still cold," I whined, my head hanging upside-down off his bed.

"So, get a blanket."

I looked at him.

He sighed, "Well, what do _you_ suggest we do to warm you?"

He had been warm for a while now.

I was getting bored, so I decided to see what his reaction would be if I suggested something … suggestive.

I smirked and kneeled on the bed, looking at him innocently, "I bet you could warm me up, Remus."

He didn't look up from his book for a while. Then he did with a playful smirk on his face. So, he was going to play along, huh?

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" he stood from his spot and walked over to his bed, where I sat smirking.

"Mm … I don't know what you mean?" I tried to look innocent.

"Well, your statement was quite suggestive."

"I thought that you were the shy marauder, not the Ladies Man like Sirius."

He smirked and leaned in, his nose touching mine, "Being shy is different from dating anything with nice legs."

I chuckled.

"So, Celia, what did you have in mind?"

"_Your_ dirty mind is what made it suggestive."

"I think not. The way you said it made me think that you meant it to be suggestive."

I laughed. This was actually the first time I had laughed like this in a while.

He leaned farther in, tilting his head.

"Can I kiss you, Celia?"

I smiled. This was the sensitive sort of man I was looking for – a man who wouldn't take control, but work with me.

"I'm not entirely sure that's suggestive enough for the way you were thinking."

He smirked again and pushed me down on the bed. This was not like Remus, but I had to say I liked it – ever since the little 'scene' with Remus under the tree in the storm.

His lips hovered above mine, trying to tease me.

"Remus," I whispered.

He hummed in response.

"Get on with it, why don't you?"

He chuckled and lowered his lips until they just barely brushed against mine.

He lay on top of me, holding his weight up by placing his hands on the bed near my face.

The slight brush of his lips teased me so much that I groaned and grabbed his shirt collar, encouraging him to make a move.

He didn't budge.

I pulled the collar slightly and still nothing.

"Remus," I whispered again, "Are you dead?"

His smirk turned to a playful smile.

Both hands on his collar, I yanked him onto my lips.

He moaned loudly into my lips and I smiled triumphantly.

The door opened and I heard the laughter of James and Sirius.

We reluctantly broke apart.

They had stopped dead in the doorway, mouths wide open.

"What?" Remus and I asked in unison.

"Well, we just didn't expect _you two_ to be getting it on," James said, smirking.

"So, how did this little provocative exchange get going, eh?" Sirius taunted us.

"Celia was cold," Remus said, getting off me.

"Remus," I warned in a whisper.

I stayed with my back on the bed, my legs around Remus' waist.

A knock was heard at the window. An owl perched at the window-sill stared at us.

James looked at Remus and I, "Oh, don't worry, I'll get it. I wouldn't want to disturb your comfy-looking position," he grinned at us. James walked to the window and took the letter that the owl was holding, "Hey, Celia, it's for you."

I frowned. I hardly ever got mail at school.

I un-wrapped my legs and took the letter from James. Standing, I read it:

_Directed to Miss Celia Martin Morris:_

_It is our concern that your foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Morris, were caught in a fire this afternoon. We believe it to be the work of the Dark Lord, but the scene strongly suggests Muggle interference. The individuals of the Morris family that are not currently in school did not make it through the fire. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused for your place during school breaks. The Ministry realizes that you were signed up for a new foster home in Bulgaria, but they have taken their names off the list after being informed of this event. Currently, we do not have another foster home for you to go to that is on the same continent. You will next be stationed in Texas, USA and will be removed from Hogwarts as soon as an Auror can come by. We will inform you of this event two weeks prior. Once again, we are sorry to have caused you any concern or inconvenience._

_Thank you for your time,_

_Cornelius Fudge_

_Ministry of Magic_

I knew Cornelius Fudge to be an apprentice to the Minister or something of the sort. He wanted to be the next Minister of Magic.

Re-reading the letter again and again, tears formed in my eyes.

Why did everything and everyone I learned to love have to be taken away from me?

My eyes raised and met Remus.

I couldn't lose him, too.

I bolted from the room, tears streaming down my face.

Reaching the Grounds, I realized that they would look for me at our tree first. I needed a different place.

My legs seemed have a mind of their own. They ran be back through the castle and to the seventh floor corridor. I looked up. I had brought myself to the Room of Requirement.

I thought and decided.

Pacing in front of it three times, I thought hard of what I needed the most.

A door appeared. I slowly opened it and walked inside.

I looked around. There was a fire, a bed, and a table full of pictures of my parents and the Morris family.

I picked up one of the magical moving pictures and smiled. It had been taken on the day I was taken home from St. Mungo's. My mother held me and smiled and my father held her and did the same. Both of them looked from baby me, to the camera, and back again.

The fire crackled.

I walked towards it and opened a box that sat next to it.

Firewhiskey filled it to the brim, bottles piled on one another to the very top.

I grabbed one and walked to the bed, dragging the box with me to the edge.

I drank down the thick liquid, it burning as it ran smoothly down my throat.

I cried as I kept drinking, thinking about all that I had lost.

Half an hour later, I was drunk and sitting on the bed sobbing.

I heard a cough and I looked up at the door. Remus was there and I remembered that I hadn't closed the door.

How long he had been standing there, I did not know; nor did I care in my drunken state.

He walked towards me as I continued my hiccupping sob.

Climbing on the bed and resting behind me, pulling me between his legs and holding me, my back to his chest.

My amber eyes shone and my cheeks were red and puffy from my tears. Once perfect, my hair was frizzy. My heart beat slower and my brain only showed my pictures of my mother leaving and of my father slowly dying with my mother crying over his motionless body. I saw visions of my home burning and heard the screams of the Morris family that was no more. A ringing in my ears broke the silence. But, this ringing slowed down when I heard the soft shushing from Remus behind me.

"I want to die, Remus. I have nothing left to live for."

I thought of how wrong I was. I had _him_. But, it would hurt ten times worse if I lost him, wouldn't it?

"You have nothing left to live for? What are you talking about? You have me. You have the rest of the marauders. You've got your whole life ahead of you. You've only just become of age and now you want it all to end!"

"I've lost everything, Remus!" I sobbed, "All I have left is you. But, I just can't be with you no matter how much I want to! Both of my parents have been taken away from me and now my foster family was taken from me! Do you know what it's like to be completely alone? To have everyone else around you have completely normal lives while I'm a misfit without a family to fall back on! It's horrible, Remus, horrible!" I screamed at him.

"I know what it feels like."

"No, you don't! How could you possibly know what it feels like it? You have a normal life!"

I saw the look on his face and started to second guess myself.

How could he know what it feels like to be alone like I am? He was normal. He told me everything. He told me so! He wouldn't lie to me … He would never … He …

"Celia, do you remember when we were under the tree and I told you that we weren't keeping any secrets from me?"

I nodded.

He continued, "Well, I sort of … lied," he whispered the last word, but I caught it.

He lied to me.

"Remus, what aren't you telling me?"  
"Well, when I've been missing classes and I haven't been at school … I've been with the marauders in the Shrieking Shack …"

I urged him to go on.

"Celia, I'm a … I'm a werewolf."

My eyes went wide.

But, it all made sense. They called him 'Moony' and he was a werewolf. That was most likely _why_ they called him that.

"I'll understand if you'd want to leave and never see me again," he put his head in his hands, probably waiting for me to leave.

I got up off the bed and walked around the bed to his side.

He took his head out of his hands and rubbed his temples, tears silently falling down his cheeks.

I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. His head shot up to look at me.

I smiled and whispered, "I'm not going _anywhere_."

He stared at me, "Y-you're not going anywhere?"

I shook my head, "Not for a while at least."

I went to the table, magically un-drunk, and grabbed the letter. I shoved it at him, the lonely and sad look reappearing on my face.

He read it and nodded.

"You'll always have me. I promise this," he stood and grabbed my shoulders, "We will keep in touch. I'll visit you in America. We'll owl each other. We'll find a way to be together."

"Do you mean you want to _date_ me?" I slid my hands up his chest and stepped closer, finally resting my hands under his collar.

His small smile turned into a frown, "I don't exactly think its best to … you know … date."

I frowned and my eyebrows furrowed.

"My werewolf state is too dangerous. I want to, trust me, I do; but it's too dangerous. The marauders go with me because I shouldn't be alone and they're Animagi."

"I didn't want to go ahead with a relationship because obviously someone wants to take away everyone that I care about. But, you sounded so willing to make this work and now you're saying that it's too dangerous. What is wrong with you?" I screamed at him, stepping away to pound my fists on his chest.

"Ow," he said rubbing his chest with a face of pain and agony. Smooth move, Remus.

"It's your fault for making me this way! If you hadn't followed me into the storm today, I never would have realized how good looking you were. And if you hadn't helped me get warm and dry, I never would have noticed how much you care about me and how that was what I needed in my life. And if you hadn't kissed me I never would have seen that I love you!"

I stopped. I loved him. Did I? Yeah, you know, I did. It only took a day to realize this, but I loved him. I loved Remus Lupin.

"Y-you love m-me? But, how could you? I'm a monster!"

"That's only once a month at night. And it doesn't bother me enough to stop loving you. It's just like PMS, except you're not a girl and well … different side-affects, I'm guessing."

He chuckled. Then he frowned, "It's still dangerous, Celia!"

"But, I'm not going with you on the Full Moons am I? No, I'm not. I'm letting the marauders do that because you're afraid for me and I get that."

I took a step forward. Leaning on his chest again, I looked up at him, "Remus, please, just think about it?" I gave him my best puppy-dog face.

"You're good at that. But, not as good as Sirius," he winked at me and I got it.

Sirius' Animagi must have been a dog. I nodded.

I took another step, pushing him backwards.

He made a sound that sounded like he wanted me to stop so he wouldn't get roped into agreeing to the relationship, but he liked the dominance I was showing.

I took another step and then another, going all the way so that he was pushed up against the wall.

"Kiss me, Remus?" I stuck out my lip.

He chuckled and smiled at me.

I knew he was giving in.

I brushed my lips against his, like he had done before.

"That isn't very fair, Celia."

"You weren't very fair before, Remus."

"When was I not fair?"

"In your room, you tease."

I felt him smile against my lips. I decided I had tortured him enough, as I grabbed his collar and yanked him hard onto my lips.

He moaned. His arms around my waist, he pulled me forcefully against him. I kept one hand on his collar and pulled tightly toward me. I slid my other hand up his neck and to his hair.

He pushed his lips harder onto mine, pushing me back. I tripped over my own foot and we landed on the bed.

He lifted his lips from mine, both of us panting. He held himself over me and looked down into my eyes.

"Fine, Celia, we can date. And I promise that I'll make this work for us over seas. When are the Aurors coming?"

"I don't know. But, maybe I can convince them to let me stay until I graduate."

He nodded.

We left the room together, hand-in-hand.

"So, I see you two are together," Sirius said rather loudly when we returned to the Common Room.

My cheeks turned pink and I nodded happily.

"I told her, guys, about … you know," Remus said, sitting down and pulling me next to him.

I was graduating. I had convinced the Auror that had come to let me stay, but he kept a close eye on me.

I stood with the marauders and James' girlfriend, Lily Evans.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye," I said.

James, Sirius, and Peter looked down and Lily hugged me.

"Not for you and me,"Remus said, "I promise I will write every day. And I'll visit every couple of months, eh?"

"And I'll visit you some times."

He smiled.

The Auror walked over to me, "We have to go, little lady."

I nodded.

Remus kissed me on the cheek and held my hand, "I'll walk you to the gate."

We were Apparating from the gates of Hogwarts.

"I'll let you two say good-bye," the Auror stated, and he walked away, looking towards Hogsmeade village.

I smiled and looked at Remus, "I'll send you an owl as soon as I get there."

He nodded, "It just seems like I met you a few days ago. And it's like we just started dating yesterday. I wish we had had more time."

"Shut up and kiss me."

And he did.

I heard a cough from behind me. The Auror was telling me that we had to get moving.

I broke the kiss, "I love you, Remus."

"I love you, too. And I always will."

I grinned and left with the Auror.

Remus and I worked out our long-distance relationship.

One summer he came to visit me and my new foster family, the Harrison's.

A knock came from the door and I ran to answer it. I had been expecting Remus to come.

Remus was there when I answered the door.

I jumped into his arms and he swung me around.

We were both 19 now. I would stop living with foster families when I turned 20, unless, they invited me to stay until I got a place of my own; though the American Muggle "age" is 18, so much trauma had happened to me, the Ministry suggested I stay a bit longer than usual.

"Celia, I'm so glad to see you," he said when he set me on the ground.

"I'm glad to see you, too!"

"Do you think we could go somewhere quiet?"

I nodded.

I brought him to my bedroom. It was a decent-sized room painted with blue walls. It had a dark purple bedspread across my Queen sized bed. A desk was next to my bed and on the next wall were a window and a bookshelf. My closet was at the wall opposite of that. The last wall held the door that I walked through with Remus close behind.

I closed the door and he stood in the middle of the room.

"What is it, Remus?"

"I … uh … talked to your foster parents."

"And …?" I urged him on.

He brought me into his arms and rested his forehead on mine, spinning slowly around as if we were dancing.

"I want to marry you, Celia. I want to be with you forever – until the end of time; the day I die. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Yes, Remus, I would absolutely love that!"

He smiled and I did, too.

A year later, I would become Mrs. Celia Martin Lupin. And I would be the happiest woman in the world.

St. Mungo's would let my mother out to see my wedding, but they would send a Healer with her.

I would be reunited with her, and finally united with the love of my life, Remus Lupin.

I would say 'I Do,' and we would start our family together. And we would have the perfect life.


End file.
